Bobby certainly brings that quality major league bat that the other manager has got to say, 'I don't want him up there'." — Terry Collins, Mets manager, on Bobby Abreu

NEW YORK — Bobby Abreu has returned to the major leagues. The Mets called him up from Triple-A Las Vegas, optioning Andrew Brown out in a roster switch.

Abreu, 40, will add what the club hopes is a potent left-handed bat to the bench. By five o'clock, he was taking batting practice at Citi Field, giving the coaching staff their first opportunity to see him hit in person this season.

"Bobby certainly brings that quality major league bat that the other manager has got to say ‘I don’t want him up there'," Terry Collins said. "He’s certainly been an outstanding hitter his career. We wanted to get him up here."

Abreu will mainly be a pinch-hitter for the Mets and occasionally play in the outfield. His patient hitting approach — he has a career .396 on-base percentage and had a .404 OBP for the Phillies this spring — matches the organization's tactics.

"He’s a professional hitter and we’re looking for somebody that can come off the bench and give us a professional at-bat," Sandy Alderson said today at an event at the VA New York Harbor Healthcare Hospital.

Abreu has not played in the major leagues since the 2012 season. He took the entire 2013 season off to get himself into shape and returned to playing this winter, where he played for the Mets' hitting coach Dave Hudgens in Venezuela.

"Just to get my opportunity just to get back to the big leagues," Abreu said. "I was working hard over there and I was playing pretty much every day to show, to prove that I can help (if given) another opportunity. That’s what I have right now, that’s good."

The Mets had tried to sign him this winter but Abreu signed with the Phillies instead, then was released last month. That's when the Mets "jumped on it," Alderson said.

"As soon as you have the opportunity to go to spring training that’s where you want to be because a lot of things can happen in spring training," he said. "They told me to go to Vegas just to go out there and see what happens. I was getting my at-bats over there and getting ready and just trying to hoping for opportunities. That’s what's happening right now, I have an opportunity to come back. I was hitting well over there so that helped."

"He’s played very well at Vegas," Alderson said. "And he’s a great hitting role model for our players. He’s a professional hitter and I think our guys can learn something from him."

The Mets sent down Brown, who hit .185 with a home run and .567 OPS in 30 plate appearances for the Mets this season, after he was caught in a numbers game. The club had a glut of outfielders with Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Curtis Granderson, Eric Young Jr., and Chris Young also on the team.

The Mets kept Nieuwenhuis because of his ability to play center field.

"I told Brown it’d be good for him to get some playing time, get some at-bats," Collins said. "I wouldn’t be at all surprised if we don’t see him soon."